On the eve of the Australian Open, tennis great Novak Djokovic wants permission to play even though he has not been vaccinated against COVID-19.
The defending champion says he deserves a medical exemption to the tournament’s rules because he contracted the virus for a second time in mid-December and as such is now free of the virus.
Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison rebuked Serbia’s super star. “Rules are rules, especially when it comes to our borders. No one is above these rules. Our strong border policies have been critical to Australia having one of the lowest death rates in the world from COVID, we are continuing to be vigilant.”
Djokovic, on the other hand, continues to act nonplussed about the virus and the toll it is taking. If he’s weathered two bouts of it, his thinking goes, surely people are overstating its potential for harm.
AUSTRALIA’S response to COVID-19 has been tough love. The Aussies have endured countless lockdowns that have interrupted their lives and livelihoods. The effort, fortunately, has worked.
Of Australia’s 26 million there have been about 2,300 deaths from COVID. That’s less than one-third the 7,000 lives we’ve lost in Kansas to the virus.
Morrison intends to keep the numbers low with vaccinations and booster shots. More than 90% of Australians over 16 have been double-dosed and a booster program is rolling out. Here in the United States, 62% of Americans are vaccinated. Instead of a goal of defeating the virus, we’ve opted to accommodate. The virus is here to stay.
INITIALLY, tennis officials thought Djokovic’s request would be granted.
But when word got out, Australians were livid. There’s nothing they hate worse than “queue jumpers.”
Morrison stood strong. To qualify for a medical exemption, he reiterated, Djokovic must provide acceptable proof that he cannot be vaccinated for medical, not personal, reasons. Djokovic is somewhat gullible when it comes to pseudoscience. For instance, he’s posted that the molecular structure of water can be changed by positive thinking and that mindfulness can make unhealthy food more nutritious. Just think about that potato chip long enough and its fat will dissolve.
P.M. Morrison is having none of it.
“My view is he should be treated no different to anyone else.”
THIS MORNING, Djokovic’s attorneys were in Australia — of course — to argue his case and seemed to gained traction.
No matter the outcome, Djokovic has lost.
We should all be working to halt the progress of the coronavirus.
